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Topic: NATIONAL QUAD |
Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Billy Wilson
From:
El Cerrito, California, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 1:31 pm |
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| That's cool! Has it got the amp inside of it? |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 2:11 pm
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Wow!! Looks like a church organ...... 
Never seen one of these before, do you know how many were made?
Steinar
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"Play to express, not to impress"
www.gregertsen.com
Southern Moon Northern Lights
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Max Laine
From:
Pori, Finland
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 2:17 pm
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| There has to be an amp inside? What happened to the middle control panel? Well it sure looks like factory made, but is it? Anyone seen one of these before? |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 2:17 pm
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Incredible find, Rick, great taste!
Also incredible is that I've had a reoccurring thot lately of building a steel that I envissioned to be very much like this one of yours, thinking it would have some of the positives you mentioned.
Any 'dead spots' to be found yet?
A vintage example of Western Swing heritage like this National is priceless.
Please give more details of it's past and recent history.
Can't wait to hear it.
How do you plan to tune it all up? |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 2:34 pm
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| That would go nicely with my Mom's hard rock maple dining room furniture! |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 2:49 pm
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That's gotta be a special order item; I've never seen anything like that advertised in any National catalog I've ever seen. Your wife is a saint to let you own it! 
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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 2:55 pm
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| Now THAT's amazing. I've never seen anything like this. Do you think it's a custom job from factory parts? Looks like mahogany for the cabinet. |
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Denny Turner
From:
Oahu, Hawaii USA
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Gary Boyett
From:
Colorado
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 3:44 pm
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That is truly a great steel. The scratches on the front must be from a short guy with a BIG belt buckle trying to reach the back neck!
I can't wait to hear it.
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HSGA & RMSGC member
Play it with "Glass"
Boyett's Glass Bars
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 4:06 pm
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| Man, beautiful although you'd have to have a pretty strong back to play it and long arms I imagine. |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 5:01 pm
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I wouldn't attempt to install any pedals on it Rick.  |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 5:21 pm
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Billy, there's no amp inside it, although there's certainly room for one. Those "portals" that grace all 4 sides of the cabinet are lined with screening and if you peer in all you see is some kind of board just behind it. The 1/4" jack is on the bottom.
Steinar, yes it's very churchy. It feels like standing at a pulpit.
As far as I know this is the only one of its kind.
Max, I asked the seller the same question. He said that's not a control panel, and there was an insignia of some kind attached there at one time. The upper control panel is for the top 2 necks and the lower one is for the bottom 2 necks. The controls are "interactive" -if you turn either volume control all the way down, all the necks are turned off.
Ron, I haven't noticed any real dead spots yet. Most steels have their quirky characteristics, but all in all this one seems to play pretty evenly.
I'll probably put E13, C6/A7, A6 and high C6 on it.
Lee, do you think this guitar is maple? I'm still trying to figure it out.
Brad, I was told it was a one of a kind special order for a western movie made in 1952 - 54 years ago. The story goes that there were several bands in the movie and the producers wanted them to use the same steel. Of course each player had to have his own tuning, and so they had this steel built to accomodate everyone.
Well, that's what I was told. Man, if anybody out there knows anything about this I'd like to hear from them.
Yeah, she's pretty cool. I was getting  at first, but when I plugged it in she said it was the nicest sounding one she had heard. It's not the least bit shrill or tinny sounding, that's why she likes it.
Andy, the hardware and fretboards are pure National but the cabinet had to be a custom job. It's weird, because you can't get in it or see into it - not without major disassembly. The guitar is permattached to the table it stands on. The legs unscrew and there's a plywood top that lifts off.
Mahogany you think? Whatever it is, it sure resonates nicely.
Denny, I hope so too. It would be awesome to find out the whole story. Whoever made the cabinet and stand was a real craftsman. I'd like to know names, places, dates . .
Thank you for the kind words my friend.
G-man, you're right. I have one pressing task to finish up and then I'll record some little soundbites.
Bill, I just sprawl all over it.
Rick, just the Hilton.
RA[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 10 October 2006 at 08:47 PM.] |
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Loni Specter
From:
West Hills, CA, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 5:33 pm
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WOW! I thought I had seen everything. That is an amazing steel! Truely the Clydesdale of steels.
Congrats! |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 6:17 pm
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| On my computer at work, it looked more like maple, but here at home, it looks like mahogany. |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 6:32 pm
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| Congratulations!! |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 7:07 pm
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I definitely have to put my own tunings and gauges on this guitar, but for now I did 4 el quicko soundbytes of random noodling just to give you some idea of how it sounds.
The top 4 pics on this page are clickable links to the mp3 files.
Here is the first one. They're real short, so they'll load up right away.
Loni, yeah it's a brute alright. I have to get a crew to move it for me.
Lee, now my wife says maple.
I bet Ricky Davis could tell from looking at the pics . .
Thanks Chas!
[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 10 October 2006 at 08:08 PM.] |
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Stephan Miller
From:
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 7:16 pm
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 Wow! Big Steel just got a whole lot bigger...that is the most righteous housing for 32 strings I've ever seen. How about "The National Quadthedral"?
It's great that it has a tone to match. I'll bet it speaks up acoustically, too. Rick, I hope you find a prominent place for it in one of those RA originals and give us a listen.
--Steve |
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Matt Johnson
From:
California, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 7:35 pm
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Congratulations!
One of a kind find! How does it feel when reaching to the fourth neck? |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 8:13 pm
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Seems like there was a National guitar like this on Ebay awhile back. It had been cut up and made into a different config. Same control plates and stuff.
Nice to see that this one has survived and is in good hands. |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 8:22 pm
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Thanks Stephan!
Matt, it's a stretch . .
Bill, it's safe now. I would never cut up or part out a guitar.
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David L. Donald
From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 8:26 pm
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Well that sure is drool worthy!
The grain sure looks like fine mahogany.
Cherry would have more figures to it.
This is cut from BIG logs.
A wonderful example pf the joiners art.
Some time you MUST commision a support for it of like quaility.
That table it is bolted on just isn't in the same league.
What tunings will you favor?
DD |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 10:21 pm
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Thanks David!
Another vote for mahogany.
Yeah the table is pretty rustic. The height isn't adjustable at all - it's at a level for standing, and the only way to sit would be with a stool.
I'll use A6, high C6, E7 (or E13) and C6/A7.
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Darryl Hattenhauer
From:
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 10:45 pm
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Which necks will get which tunings?
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"Time flies like an arrow. Fruitflies like a banana." -- Groucho
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 10 Oct 2006 11:29 pm
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Congratulations Rick!
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My Site - Instruction [This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 11 October 2006 at 12:47 AM.] |
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